12-02 Dec Sailing the Pacific

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in November-December 2023. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.

The Viking Daily newsletter showed today's weather forecast as "Rain Showers 80° F" and "Sunrise: 6:14 AM."

Don woke at 6:30 (MT was already up).

At 7:20, we got Room Service Breakfast (ordered for 7:00-7:15, but a bit late).

MT  Saturday, December 2, ‎2023, 7:57 AM - Viking Star: view of South Pacific.

MT 8:23 AM - Viking Star: view of South Pacific with sailboat in distance (telephoto 133 mm).

At 9:00, MT went to a "Low Impact Dance Class" in the Torshavn (Deck 2).

At 9:00, Don went to the "Feature Documentary: Drain the Ocean - Deadly Pacific" in the Star Theater (Deck 2).

The Viking Daily Newsletter described the "Feature Documentary: Drain the Ocean - Deadly Pacific" as follows:
“Under the Pacific Ocean lies a vast area known as the Ring of Fire where 75% of the world’s volcanoes lie and 90% of earthquakes occur. Evidence show[s] that its seismic activity could destroy Japan, North America and New Zealand one day.”

At 9:50, Don met MT outside the Torshavn, which was just outside the Star Theater, and we went out a nearby wooden door to the Jogging Track (Deck 2) on the aft starboard side, ducking under a black strap with a warning about high wind. We both walked toward the aft end a bit, with the wind bahind us and the deck dry. So Don put on sunscreen to walk while MT went back to our stateroom to change clothes before the "Baggo Challenge" in the Atrium on Deck 1 at 10:30.

When Don went around the aft end and did the port side, the deck was wet from waves and high wind. So, after one trip on that side, he walked back and forth on the starboard side until 10:50.

Then Don went down to the Explorer's Desk (Deck 1) to get the Sudoku and crossword puzzles for the day. There he met MT, finishng her mimosa for being on the winning team in the Baggo Challenge.

11:09 AM - Viking Star: Ship Tracker in Living Room (Deck 1), showing our change of direction since our previous stop in Tahiti as we headed NE toward Taiohae in the Marquesas Islands.

At 11:20, we went to the Caesar Salad Station at the Aquavit Terrace (Deck 7),

11:52 AM - Viking Star: Caesar Salad Station - serving line.

MT 11:52 AM - Viking Star: Caesar Salad Station - whole wheel of parmesan on serving line.

11:56 AM - Viking Star: Caesar Salad Station - Don's plate with Caesar salad, shrimp, salmon, chicken, and garlic bread.

At 2:30, we both went to the Star Theater (Deck 2) for the presentation of "Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do!"  by magician Greg Moreland. (MT had to leave at 3:00 to go to the Viking Star Choir rehearsal in the Torshavn (Deck 2).

The Viking Daily newsletter described "Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do!" as follows:
“Magician Greg Moreland teaches you simple & effective magic tricks that require no skills or dexterity. Great for impressing the grandkids!”

MT 2:50 PM - Viking Star: Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do! - Greg Moreland with diagram on screen for trick with dollar bill and 2 paperclips (telephoto 130 mm).

2:49 PM - Viking Star: Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do! - diagram on screen for trick with dollar bill and 2 paperclips (telephoto 130 mm).

2:52 PM - Viking Star: Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do! - diagram on screen for trick with 2 paperclips and 2 rubber bands (telephoto 130 mm).

2:53 PM - Viking Star: Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do! - list of Mazlov's "The 4 Stages of Learning," which Greg Moreland applied to magic tricks (telephoto 130 mm).

2:58 PM - Viking Star: Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do! - Greg Moreland demonstrating "anti-gravity" trick with rubber bands (telephoto 109 mm).

3:00 PM - Viking Star: Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do! - Greg Moreland demonstrating another part of "anti-gravity" trick as he starts to pull on rubber band with a paperclip attached by the hand on the right, while he actually hides more of the rubber band in the other hand (telephoto 109 mm).

3:00 PM - Viking Star: Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do! - Greg Moreland demonstrating another part of "anti-gravity" trick as he stretches the rubber band while secretly releasing more of the rubber band from the hand on the left, creating the illusion that the paper clip is moving up the rubber band (telephoto 109 mm).

Then he had us try these tricks for ourselves. Although we had to supply owr own dollar bills, he provided paperclips and rubberbands.

3:03 PM - Viking Star: Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do! - Don's folded dollar bill.

At 6:00, we went to The Restaurant (Deck 2) for our pre-ordered dinner.

According to the choices we had selected from the menu the night before, following the Starter of “Butternut Squash Soup – chorizo & toasted pepitas,” we both had the Main Course “Salmon Coulibiac – salmon fillet, rice and spinach, baked on puff pastry.”
For Dessert, we both had “Pavlova – meringue, tropical Chantilly, fresh fruit.”

6:45 PM - Viking Star: Restaurant - Don's Salmon Coulibiac.

7:21 PM - Viking Star: Restaurant - Don's Pavova Desert.

Back in our stateroom after dinner, we filled out our menu for another pre-ordered dinner at The Restaurant on 3 Dec.

9:24  PM - Viking Star: Don's menu for pre-ordered dinner at The Restaurant for 3 Dec, circling the following for both of us.

We chose the Starter "Niçoise Style Chef's Salad - romaine, cherry tomato, french beans, fingerling Potato, Kalamata olives, Muskat grape seed vinaigrette."

For the Main Course, we chose "Rigatoni all' Amatricciana - pasta with guanciale (pork), chile flakes & tomato sauce."

For dessert, we chose from the Destination Menu "Tourte des Iles Marquises - cinnamon scented banana cake with lime and rum."